When you learn to quilt , the first lesson is that a quilt is made up of three elements: the top, the batting, and the backing fabric. Together they are known as a quilt sandwich. In this eFolio project from Colorful Fabric Collage , Sue Bleiweiss used wool felt and interfacing as the batting. Now, when...

If I told you to go to your LQS to get some PFD so you could finish your ATC you HSY, would you know what I was talking about? Quilters use many abbreviations to communicate basic quilting terms. Some are practical: you don't want to have to write (or repeat) "half-square triangles" over...

My favorite work day is Tuesday, because that's when our office holds show-and-tell. Given the array of quilters, sewists, and mixed-media artists in our group (many of whom also knit, crochet, and make jewelry), you never know what to expect. Managing editor Rose deBoer (L) and Assistant editor...

Many art quilters find fusible web indispensable for quilt making . Fusible web is basically a sheet of glue that melts when you press fabric onto it with a hot iron, sticking the pieces of fabric together. Quilt artist Jamie Fingal uses Mistyfuse fusible for all her quilt making. Because art quilts...

Why did I ever take up quilting? Necessity! I was 16 years old and redecorating my impossibly small bedroom. A section of my second quilt, when I was a newbie at quilt making. Armed with a redwork pattern of kittens in a variety of poses and a few yards of calico, I set to work. Twelve embroidered blocks...

When anyone asks me how to make quilts with free-form, contemporary designs, I often want tell them I can sum it up in two words: trial and error. 'Urban Storefront,' and example of how to make a quilt with improvisation techniques, by Rayna Gillman. That's not entirely true, of course. Most...

When you make a quilt, at some point you will have to consider the quilt binding . You may opt for an elaborate binding that makes an impact on the overall design, a simple and subtle binding, or no binding at all. When binding a small quilt, such as a postcard, it's usually best to keep it simple...

Whenever a new batch of commercial fabric samples arrives in our offices, everyone gathers around to ooh, aah, and dream about how they would use this or that pattern to make a quilt, bag, accessory, or baby item. I'm always first in line to see what's new, hungrily eyeing every stack of new...

Our foremothers knew how to make a quilt using only what they had, from scraps of fabric to natural dyes. But, quilt making the frugal and eco-friendly way was easier for them: they didn't have much of a choice. Pioneer women didn't have fabric stores, and even our own mothers didn't have...

How did you learn to quilt ? In my family, the women passed down needlecraft techniques like sewing, embroidery, knitting, and quilting. Terry Grant shows how to bind a quilt when it's small (and get a neat result) on "QATV" Series 600. Many of my fellow quilters learned how to quilt after...

Put this in the category of "Why didn't I think of that?" A few weeks ago, Assistant Editor Kristine Lundblad came up with a terrific way to solve a problem we have at Quilting Arts . Many of the beautiful art quilts we receive for challenges and galleries don't have hanging sleeves...

If I had to create a basic lesson plan for how to make a quilt it would be broken down into these three basic steps: Step 1: Design. Step 2: Stitch. Step 3: Finish. Of course a lot more goes on within those essential steps. But if you're new to art quilting or want to know more about these topics...

Quilt making doesn't have to be complex, with hours of cutting, piecing, and sewing tiny seams. In this free eBook, How to Quilt: 4 Free Projects to Learn How to Make a Quilt , you'll learn how to quilt using fabric scraps, craft-store flowers, a fish, and canvas and paint. At the same time,...

I almost fell off my chair laughing when I saw this fiber art postcard from U.K. artist Priscilla O'Rourke. It seems no sooner had she received her copy of the February/March issue of Quilting Arts Magazine than she turned a photo of the staff she found on the Editor's note page into quilted...

Quilts have long been associated with special moments and memories--even the nontraditional, custom quilts made by art quilters. At Quilting Arts , we're known for our innovative approach to quilting, so of course we wanted to think of how we could enliven the concept of a memory quilt and let you...